1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor integrated circuits containing memory arrays, and in preferred embodiments the invention particularly relates to monolithic three-dimensional memory arrays having series-connected strings of memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent developments in semiconductor processing technologies and memory cell technologies have continued to increase the density achieved in integrated circuit memory arrays. For example, certain passive element memory cell arrays may be fabricated having word lines approaching the minimum feature size (F) and minimum feature spacing for the particular word line interconnect layer, and also having bit lines approaching the minimum feature width and minimum feature spacing for the particular bit line interconnect layer. Moreover, three-dimensional memory arrays having more than one plane or level of memory cells have been fabricated implementing such so-called 4F2 memory cells on each memory plane. Exemplary three-dimensional memory arrays are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,882 to Johnson, et al., entitled “Vertically Stacked Field Programmable Nonvolatile Memory and Method of Fabrication.”
A variety of other memory cell technologies and arrangements are also known. For example, NAND flash and NROM flash EEPROM memory arrays are known to achieve relatively small memory cells. Other small flash EEPROM cells are known which use hot electron programming, such as NROM and floating gate NOR flash memory arrays.
An extremely dense memory array may be achieved using a NAND-style arrangement, which includes series-connected NAND strings of memory cell devices. Each NAND string of memory cells may include a first block select device which couples one end of the NAND string to a global array line, a plurality of series-connected memory cells, and a second block select device which couples the other end of the NAND string to a bias node associated with the string. A memory array may include a number of memory blocks, with each block including a plurality of NAND strings which share the same word lines. Two block select signals for the block are typically routed to each NAND string of the block.
A basic NAND string is a very efficient structure, capable of achieving a 4F2 layout for the incremental transistor memory cell. Density is also improved because the block select lines may be routed in continuous polysilicon stripes across the array block, just like the word lines, without any provision being otherwise required for contacting a block select signal line to some but not all of the block select transistors formed in the NAND strings.